The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-07
NINETY DAYS GRACE GIVEN.
Fourth Section Of the Interstate Rail-
way Law Temporarily Suspended,
At Request of the Southern Railway and
Steamship Observation-Disclosures bout the
Through Ticket Boycott-LocsI Notes.

WASHlNGTON, April IA pc tltion was re-
ceived by the 1nterstate-comme, CO Commission
to-day from john B. Peck. general manager of
the South Carolina Railway Co mpany for relief
from the operations of the Fourth section 1.-THE
lon and -sh6rt-haul sectionl of the interstate
commerce law. 1t sets forth that the company
is a member Of the Southern Railway and Steam
ship Association, ard asks relief for the reasons
presented in the argument of Vice-president
Smith, of the Louisville & Nashville company
petition having like purport has been re-
ceived from l. Y Sage, general manager of the
Georgia Pacific Railway Company In addition
to the fact of the environment and intersection
of its territory by water lines it sets forth that
its line for one hundred miles is confined within
the boundaries of the Coosa Cshawba and Black
Warrior coal fields, section devoid of aericult-
nral resources and necessarily dependent
upon the petitioner for the distribution
of its mineral and coal products.
This section is sparsely settled, and local con-
sumption is limited. 1t is important, therefore,
that an output sufficient to justify large opera
tions must find its market at more distant
points. and that facilities be given for placing
the products of the mines at such markets as
Memphis. New Orleans, Mobile, Galveston,
Brunswick, Savannah, Charleston, Augusta,
Macon, Montgomery ETC. To many of these
points coal is transported in the cheapest posi-
BILE manner from mines located in Ohio, Penn
sylvania and Maryland, where local consump-
ton is very great Authority is therefore
asked to give rates on the product of these
mines which will enable them to compete with
more distant mines. In general, they ask to be
of To- "a
shorthaul section
Inc commissioners were in conference two
hours or more this forenoon, over the petitions
for the suspension of the lone-and-shorth haul
provision, but took recess without having
reached conclusion. At the afternoon session
the commission made the following ruling:
Application having been made to the Inter-
state Commission under Section of the act of
Congress entitled An Act to Regulate Com
merce,' by the Southern Railway and Steamship
Association. an organization composed of the
following railroad companies, lines and systems,
and steamship lines operated In connection
Herewith, to wit:
Here follows list of the roads and STEAMSHIP lines
included in the association, and the of the
towns and cities on their lines.
''These companies are common carriers sub
ject to the provisions of said act and they apply
for authority to charge less for longer than for
shorter distances in certain cases, and certain of
said railroad companies, lines and systems hav-
ing also severaly made application for like
thority. so far as said points reached by
them respectively, and said common carriers
having Or resented as reason for granting their
said application the existence of water and other
competition. claiming that the same cannot be
met except by main tanning the rates heretofore
established to and from the said points. which
are alleged to be too low to enable said comm
carriers TO carry on business il applied
to said local intermediate points; and
further claiming that great disturbance of bus
mess will occur if present traffic arrangements
and rates are Immediately changed, and it ap-
pearing to the commission, after investigation Of
the said petition and the facts presented in sup
port OF the same, TO be a proper case for a tenn
porary order authorizing existing rates to be
maintained for the time being, until the COM
mission can mako complete examination of
the matters alleged in said petition as reasons
tor reviewing salt common carriers from the op-
GRAFTON of said section of said act-it is ordered
that the said application be and the same here
by is granted temporarily, subject to modihca-
ton or revocation by the commission at any
time. upon hearing or otherwise. and the said
common carriers are hereby temporarily re-
lieved from the operation of the fourth section
of said act to the extent specified in the recitals
Of this order. and for a period not greater than
ninety days from this date. subject however, to
the restriction that none Of the said common
force, shall in any case charge or
receive compensation for the transportation of
property between stations on their respective
lines where more is charged for a shorter than
for q longer haul, which shall be greater than
the rates in force and charged and received by
said carriers respectively the 3lst dav of
March, 1887, schedules of which have been fled
with the commission. It is made further con-
dition of this order that printed copy hereof
shall be forthwith publicly posted and kept with
the schedule of rates, fares and charges at every
station upon the lines OF said mon carriers
where such schedule is by law required to be
posted and kept for the of the public. And
it is further ordered that the commission con
vene at Atlanta Ga, the Goth day of April
1887, at o'clock p. NJ. and thereafter at Mobile
Ala, on April 20. at New Orleans on May and
at Memphis, Tenn. on May 4, for the con-
sideration O. the subject-matter of
said petition, at which places and
times said common carriers, or any
Of them, may appear and present application for
said relief. with evidence support thereof; which
application, in each case. must show the precise
selief desired. the facts upon which the same is
claimed. and the extent to which relief from the
operation of said section of said act is asked for
And at the same places and times any person.
Interested in opposing any such application may
also appear and be heard and at any time prior
TO May 8, 1887, the commission will receivt
printed or written communications in supper
OF or In opposition to the relief asked by said pc
titions. This announcements respecting time
and places OF hearing. and method of procedure
subject to change or enlargement in the dis
cretion OF the commission